Greenpeace’s Cool IT Leaderboard, Version 5

The latest edition of the ranking of IT companies’ efforts to reduce their own energy use and advocate for clean energy policies finds Google and Cisco in the top spots.

From the introduction to the report (see GreenBiz.com’s coverage of the rankings here):

Nearly four years after the release of the Smart 2020 Report, the picture as outlined in Version 5 of the CoolIT Leaderboard is one that, while we see a steady increase in the quantity and strength of energy solutions offerings from many companies such as Cisco, IBM, Ericsson and Fujitsu, we also see a significant reduction in policy advocacy to change the rules to drive investment in clean technology and renewable energy deployment. A notable exception to this trend is Softbank (a new addition to the Leaderboard in Version 5), which has spoken up loud and long in calling for a transition away from nuclear power to renewable energy in Japan post Fukushima, and scoring the highest in this category since the launch of the Leaderboard in 2009….

Without much stronger leadership among companies to driving renewable energy deployment, the amount of dirty energy in the sector’s electricity supply chain will double and triple to keep pace with its demand, potentially locking in another generation of dependence on coal, nuclear, and other fossil fuels that the planet cannot afford.

Highlights from this year’s Leaderboard:

• Cisco, Ericsson, and Fujitsu stand out once again in the solutions criteria for providing detailed case studies of how their unique technology is creating pathways towards significant emission reductions.

• Softbank has set a new bar in advocacy leadership with strong statements and efforts to move Japan away from dirty energy dependence post-Fukushima.

• Google, Cisco, and Dell stand out for sourcing over 20% renewable energy globally for each company’s infrastructure.